20 Years of Harry Potter

Last Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the publication of the first Harry Potter book. Many readers still can’t get enough of the story.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• magical phenomenon - something that is very unusual and cannot be really explained
• prestigious - respected and admired because it is very good or important
• defeat - win against someone in a war or fight
• spell - secret words that have magic power
• countless - very many; so many that you cannot count them
• required reading - reading assignments that you have to for some classes at school
• moan - say things in a way that makes clear that you are unhappy about stuff

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What does J.K. Rowling say about the mail she gets?


2. How did the students at Gaffney High School first feel about reading Harry Potter books?


3. How did they feel about the books after they started reading them?


4. Name two or more things the students do with the Harry Potter texts in class.


5. According to the teacher, what is the most important lesson the students can learn from reading Harry Potter?